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Psyllium is a form of fiber made from the Plantago ovata plant, specifically from the husks of the plant’s seed. It sometimes goes by the name ispaghula. It comes in powder form and when added to water quickly expands as it soaks up the water creating a thick consistency. Psyllium is used in weight control and for general intestinal health. It creates a spongy fiber that reduces appetite, improves digestion and cleanses the system, making it an excellent choice for healthy dieting. Psyllium can provide the fiber that is missing on low carbohydrate diets. Every 100 grams of psyllium provides 71 grams of soluble fiber; a similar amount of oat bran would contain only 5 grams of soluble fiber. Only recently have scientists learned that soluble fiber has unique effects on metabolism.

You can add psyllium to your food to increase the fibre or you can take it alone as a supplement. When doing a detox or fast you take it alone and away from other supplements or fluids as it will absorb and stop them from being taken in by the body. It creates a texture similar to wallpaper paste...sounds yummy...but what that does do is move through your intestines expanding into any areas that may be be folded or need to be cleaned. Drink plenty of water when doing this and consider adding enemas to help flush it from your system. As it moves through your digestive tract it will clean and pull impacted waste from the walls of the intestines and also makes you feel full.

For this reason when detoxing it is best taken away from any food and the use of enemas is highly recommended to stop you feeling constipated and help release any toxins from the system.

As well as a high fibre supplement and bulking agent it can also be used in food and recipes when you want to add thickness to a recipe or give it more texture. When making a raw carrot cake for example the mixture may come out too wet, so adding a tablespoon of psyllium husk will resolve this whilst adding more fibre. Handy!